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The Struggle of the Introverted Princess

There are many princesses who come off as introverts. Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana prefer to keep to themselves and avoid social situations if given the opportunity. Since they were not raised as princesses and lead generally quiet lives, this is not a problem for them during the course of their movies. However, as we get older, it becomes more and more difficult to avoid such situations. An inability to maintain the proper amount of social decorum can make it challenging to show the world that you are a modern princess. Keeping to yourself is often misinterpreted as pretentious, a criticism that even Belle has faced from naysayers. Is it possible to maintain your princess mannerisms in social situations without running away like Elsa?

How introverted or extroverted you are has nothing to do with how much of a princess you are. Yet, there are certain struggles that introverts face that do not affect extroverts as much. A princess must be the face of order among chaos, the glowing beacon of hope that reassures her subjects that everything will be okay in the face of adversity. If you were brought up around a lot of people and enjoy making small talk, then radiating a positive energy toward others would come much easier to you. For those who were brought up as only children and didn't have a lot of friends like me, this presents more of a challenge. When I'm with a large group of people, I don't always feel like myself. Sometimes, I have to force myself to participate in group conversations even if I have no interest in the topic. It's also hard for me to feel comfortable around people I don't know well.

One big aspect of being a princess is the ability to put on airs. The most heavily promoted image of Cinderella is very different from the type of person she really is for most of her story. Ella is a humble young woman who keeps to herself and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty as she takes care of her daily activities, occasionally singing to birds when the mood strikes her. The image we see of her in promotional art is a flawless and delicate beauty in a glittering gown who is always smiling and has never worked a day in her life. This is the image that people prefer because it makes them uncomfortable to see such a kind and selfless person in distress. Yet, this glittering image of perfection it is a mere shadow of who she truly is. In social situations, being a princess sometimes means shielding your emotions from the rest of the world and making people feel at ease with your hospitality skills. There are a few ways to do this.

The most important thing you must do to maintain a princess aura is to smile. Smiling makes a huge difference on how you are perceived by those around you. It makes you look approachable, friendly, and it encourages others to smile and become happier as a result. This is the easiest thing for introverts to do in social situations because it does not require any conversational skills. Making small talk is often a necessary evil, but as long as you're smiling, people will be less likely to notice if you're not that good at it. Another thing you should do to show people that you are a benevolent modern princess is to put your phone away. A princess takes an interest in those around her first and foremost. Staring at a phone makes it look as if you are more interested in yourself than the other people at the event, even if you are actually trying to check on a friend who is late or share pictures of other people present. There is a time and a place for everything.

A good way to participate in a conversation despite being an introvert is to find common ground with the people you are with. Many introverts can become very talkative when it comes to things they like, so finding things you have in common is key to social situations. It also helps to ask a lot of questions and take an interest in others to avoid having to talk too much if it makes you uncomfortable. This shows that you are selfless, like a princess. Another way to project your princess aura without needing to start a conversation is to put effort into how you dress. If people notice that you are wearing clothes that stand out from the crowd, they will compliment you on your fashion sense, which gives you an opening to return the compliment and talk about where you got the outfit. Looking nice for others also makes people feel happier by spreading positive aesthetic energy.

Though being a princess does mean putting on airs occasionally, you should never hide who you are from the world entirely. Repressing emotions can be very dangerous and lead to severe psychological disorders. Close family members and friends won't care if you're always smiling or only asking about them. Princesses need to use their best judgement to decide which events require airs and which don't. Princess Desmia learned this important lesson in the novel Palace of Lies. Usually, these rules apply to parties, conventions, and special celebrations. Disney asks their princess cast members to employ many of the techniques listed here at their theme parks because they want to make sure their guests are happy during their visit. That's why you'll never find a princess there who brings up the sadder parts of her story.

Being an introvert can make it difficult to be your best princess self all of the time, but do not despair. Smiling, looking your best, and taking an interest in others are great ways to show the world that you are a princess without having to be the life of the party. Some days will be harder than others, depending on your mood. With the right amount of effort, I believe it is possible for introverted girls to show the world that they are princesses without having to compromise who they really are.

Comments

We see our share of mystic superhero teams where a princess is the leader but it's NEVER an introverted princess. The Leader is always over-confident, clumsy or sometimes both (if raised in certain ways can also be "clumsy" in a sense of not knowing or understanding people who live outside her castle and being too arrogant about them, at least at 1st).

Me, I'd love to see a real project where the team's Leader IS the shy one, the one who surprises people with how strong and confident she really is, perhaps some or all of her teammates most of all, including the one or more who are very extroverted and lean towards arrogance and think they SHOULD be the Leader instead of her because they are the strong confident one, not the wallflower they have who would seem weak until they learn of her inner strength, though they may lean towards being cocky and reckless and need to have a Leader to help teach them some sense instead of actually being the Leader themselves.

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